Great information. Thanks for posting. I'm trying to follow in my grandfather's footsteps....... I never knew the man but now I know his tools a lot better.
Thank you very much for this video! Straight to the point, clear explanations and better than many other classes I've had on woodworking tools. Great job!
I have been trying to learn how to use different lengths of planes by purchasing videos and this twenty minute video has been more enlightening then anything I have purchased so far. This video is very informative and has helped me to understand the difference between bevel up and bevel down planes and the difference in the frog angles and what they are used for. I also learned that different lengths of the planes are meant to take different thicknesses of shavings. Thank you for this great video Lie Nielsen Toolworks.
@Bluzmann Thanks for your question. The low angle tools are extremely versatile. Because they present their blade at a low angle of approach, they work great for end grain and softer straight grain woods. However, since they hold their bevel up. You can very easily change the angle of the bevel. This allows it to perform wonderfully in harder woods such as curly maple. We also sell toothed blades for most of the bevel up tools, which is great for thicknessing stock.
via a secondhand low angle Lie-Nielsen jack plane, I have begun to understand why people spend a lot more on planes than is the norm. I began making furniture in 1977, so it's taken a while!! This plane is a revelation and I wish I had discovered it sooner, but I was too poor to afford it. But I hoped that this talk would tell me more about the 'low angle' tools. For example, I have 3 blades with different angle bevels - when should I use which? Meanwhile, thank you for producing a woodworking tool which is an absolute joy to use !!
@Bluzmann PART 2 of response. We also sell a 90 deg blade that makes some of the low angle tools work as a scraper. So, price, versatility and ease of use really make the low angle tools desirable. Hope this helps.
The best way that I've found in 40 years of using hand planes to set the depth of the Iron is to run your finger over the sole and mouth till you just can barely fell the iron. The same is true for lateral depth adjustment. I've never cut my finger doing this.
You only need 2 bench planes, a jointer and a jack. The jack is for hogging off thick shavings to get boards close to the thickness or width you need. It'll take off lots of wood because you grind the blade to an arc from side to side. The jointer will flatten, and smooth with its straight blade. The nice thing about a smooth plane is that it's a lot easier to use than the jointer because the jointer is a heavy beast.
Thanks for a very clear breakdown on the bench planes. I've been making a slow transition from caveman carpenter to Cajun craftsman for 20 years, and I'm just learning the importance and understanding the need for more than just one, general purpose plane in my shop. My love of all the hand planes is growing leaps and bounds as I learn more.
Sad that I've learned more from Deneb then i have from my wood-tech teacher who is missing a finger because he was drinking and put his hand into a table saw... THE MORE YOU KNOW! lol
i once was a carpenter and in my apprenticeship all we really learned was how to machine about everything ... the exact stuff that a trained monkey can do ...
i have bought a couple of planes at garage sales. they are old band rusty but with a little elbow grease they work finne. my question is how do you tell what type of plane and what number they are. for example, a jack or a joiner. and the difference in the numbers? i have and old craftsman, and an old stanley i think. ? hope yall can help out with this so i dont end up buy a bunch of the same on only from different makers. thanks semper fi!
so let me get this straight, you go to the lumeryard, the 1x6 for instance isnt flat so you plane it flat / thats the purpose of a plane? how do you get even sized boards if youre always planing it away?
Two different processes. First you have to have one flat side. You would use a jointer or hand tools to make one side flat. Then you plane the other side to be parallel to that side. This leaves you with a board that is flat, straight, and square (90 degrees). You do this for all of your stock for that project that has to be the same thickness, then bring them all to your uniform thickness. Making stock is a process.
If you wanted them all to be the same size, then yes, after flattening and planing, then you would plane them all to the thickness of the thinnest one.
I'm confused. In this video, and in other videos I've seen, they'll say that to make the bevel down plane more comparable to a low angle plane, you can use a 50 or 55 degree frog in your bevel down plane ..... huh? Wouldn't that take you further away from a low angle? Wouldn't you have to go to a 37 degree frog?
I have an old Stanley No. 4 SB. It has two thumb screws and raise and lower the blade, but it does not seem to have a chip breaker. Am I missing a part? The chatter is unbearable and unless the blade is almost fully retracted I can't get it to shave off a nice slide. Am I doing something wrong? Please advise. Thanks.
Hey Dave, Those were never a great tool to begin with, but maybe we can get you going. I don't think the 4SB ever came with chipbreaker, and the blade looks very thin... Get it sharp, and make sure the bevel is down. Make sure the blade is sitting right on the frog... Unfortunately, the tool you have is pretty marginal at the best of times.
Yes, you are correct. No matter what I do, this plane just does not perform well at all. The blade is very sharp now, but still the chatter is ridiculous. I think new plane is in order. suggestions?
Depends on your budget... There are SO MANY options now. Don't buy modern Stanley, Record-Irwin, Anant or Groz planes. You'll pay top dollar for problems. I run a fleet of old Stanleys and Records. They take some fiddling to get working, but they're good planes. I retrofitted a Veritas cap iron onto my 4, 4 1/2, and 5 planes, and that helped them immensely. Still running on the original irons too. I think the most I paid for any of those planes was $40AUD. Don't get hung up on buying only bedrock planes. The Bailey pattern planes did a hell of a lot of work, and continue to do so. If you want a modern plane, you have quite a few options... Lie Nielsen, Veritas (And WoodRiver/Luban) are the obvious choices, but there's also Clifton from the UK. All great tools, right out of the box. Quite expensive though. The other alternative is wooden planes. HNT Gordon here in Australia make beautiful planes from Gidgee, a desert timber from near my wife's home town. EC Emmerich make very traditional European wooden planes. I hope that helps, and isn't too overwhelming!
I have this plane too, bought specifically with the purpose of trying to make it useful. I knew it would be difficult but I'm convinced it's not something that was meant for everyday use. I assumed it would be a $20 learning experience, which is what it was. I flattened the sole, blade, etc.
Those pins that hold the frog. They should have a non-circular profile so they face the right way without the user having to align them. They should also have a detent so they won't fall out if you remove the whole frog and blade assembly. And half a turn of backlash? Still not exactly in the area of high precision, are we? Under 1mm at the wheel periphery would be an acceptable figure.
Would like to see a video on the no 1 plane, since it is slightly different in adjusting, do you lift the brass lever cap, and then advance or retract the blade, then close the lever cap ?
Sharpening is a required skill for all woodworking tools. The factory can get it close, put it seems it will be up to the user too get it sharp and keep it that way during use. Since it is always necessary, it a good place to start even with a new plane or other woodworking tool. Hope this helps.
I really prefer low angle planes. Cheaper and they get the job done. The day you buy a plane should be the day you understand how to sharpen a plane blade. Same goes with chisels. Sharpening is pretty easy. Use a jig. Lie Nielsen makes a fine plane. I own their low angle smoother. You have to camber the blade. Buy a camber jig. Way better job than sanding.
I hate to do this.. but not even 3 minutes in and he’s giving out incorrect info. I’m by no means a professional, but my no. 4 Stanley has a “set screw” in the back of the frog to adjust the mouth, even though the frog is screwed down to the bed of the plane from the top, where his “pins” are located.. it’s very easily adjusted too.. and I don’t have to remove the blade to make that adjustment.
I’m really really frustrated when commentator is talking about a detail and we don’t get to see that detail up close. Example: in beginning he says the iron is bevel down. I think we should see a close up of what he’s saying. I may sound anal, but i(like most people) learn visually
Perhaps the best explanation of hand planes I could see for beginning wood workers.
Thanks so much for posting.!!!
Great information. Thanks for posting. I'm trying to follow in my grandfather's footsteps....... I never knew the man but now I know his tools a lot better.
Thank you very much for this video! Straight to the point, clear explanations and better than many other classes I've had on woodworking tools. Great job!
I can tell from listening to this guy for a few minutes that he is an expert. Rare and deep knowledge from someone totally engaged with his craft.
I have been trying to learn how to use different lengths of planes by purchasing videos and this twenty minute video has been more enlightening then anything I have purchased so far. This video is very informative and has helped me to understand the difference between bevel up and bevel down planes and the difference in the frog angles and what they are used for. I also learned that different lengths of the planes are meant to take different thicknesses of shavings. Thank you for this great video Lie Nielsen Toolworks.
Great and informative segment and in the calm and relaxing way that only Deneb did it. Against a white backdrop of a seeming winter wonderland.
@Bluzmann
Thanks for your question. The low angle tools are extremely versatile. Because they present their blade at a low angle of approach, they work great for end grain and softer straight grain woods. However, since they hold their bevel up. You can very easily change the angle of the bevel. This allows it to perform wonderfully in harder woods such as curly maple. We also sell toothed blades for most of the bevel up tools, which is great for thicknessing stock.
via a secondhand low angle Lie-Nielsen jack plane, I have begun to understand why people spend a lot more on planes than is the norm. I began making furniture in 1977, so it's taken a while!!
This plane is a revelation and I wish I had discovered it sooner, but I was too poor to afford it.
But I hoped that this talk would tell me more about the 'low angle' tools. For example, I have 3 blades with different angle bevels - when should I use which?
Meanwhile, thank you for producing a woodworking tool which is an absolute joy to use !!
Thank you sir. Your backlash lesson is an asset to my existing knowledge.
Many thanks for this video. It seemed to me that everybody else kept this info as top secret!
This was so relaxing.
@Bluzmann
PART 2 of response. We also sell a 90 deg blade that makes some of the low angle tools work as a scraper. So, price, versatility and ease of use really make the low angle tools desirable. Hope this helps.
Very thorough and informative. Thank you.
The best way that I've found in 40 years of using hand planes to set the depth of the Iron is to run your finger over the sole and mouth till you just can barely fell the iron. The same is true for lateral depth adjustment. I've never cut my finger doing this.
You only need 2 bench planes, a jointer and a jack. The jack is for hogging off thick shavings to get boards close to the thickness or width you need. It'll take off lots of wood because you grind the blade to an arc from side to side. The jointer will flatten, and smooth with its straight blade. The nice thing about a smooth plane is that it's a lot easier to use than the jointer because the jointer is a heavy beast.
Thanks for a very clear breakdown on the bench planes. I've been making a slow transition from caveman carpenter to Cajun craftsman for 20 years, and I'm just learning the importance and understanding the need for more than just one, general purpose plane in my shop. My love of all the hand planes is growing leaps and bounds as I learn more.
Excellent presentation.
Sad that I've learned more from Deneb then i have from my wood-tech teacher who is missing a finger because he was drinking and put his hand into a table saw... THE MORE YOU KNOW! lol
i once was a carpenter and in my apprenticeship all we really learned was how to machine about everything ... the exact stuff that a trained monkey can do ...
Excellent instruction. Thank you.
Cemetery in the background? Never noticed in any other vids till now. Pretty neat.
Maybe I missed a trick here, but what was the stated advantage of the low angle/bevel up tools? Less farting around to get the tool set up?
i have bought a couple of planes at garage sales. they are old band rusty but with a little elbow grease they work finne. my question is how do you tell what type of plane and what number they are. for example, a jack or a joiner. and the difference in the numbers? i have and old craftsman, and an old stanley i think. ? hope yall can help out with this so i dont end up buy a bunch of the same on only from different makers. thanks semper fi!
A video titled "Understanding Handplanes" starts off by telling you that block planes are "self explanatory". Real instructional value there.....
Hi, what kind of scoth brite do you uses?
so let me get this straight, you go to the lumeryard, the 1x6 for instance isnt flat so you plane it flat / thats the purpose of a plane?
how do you get even sized boards if youre always planing it away?
Two different processes. First you have to have one flat side. You would use a jointer or hand tools to make one side flat. Then you plane the other side to be parallel to that side. This leaves you with a board that is flat, straight, and square (90 degrees). You do this for all of your stock for that project that has to be the same thickness, then bring them all to your uniform thickness. Making stock is a process.
yea, thats nice for 1 board, but do you just plane them all to a common length?
If you wanted them all to be the same size, then yes, after flattening and planing, then you would plane them all to the thickness of the thinnest one.
I'm confused. In this video, and in other videos I've seen, they'll say that to make the bevel down plane more comparable to a low angle plane, you can use a 50 or 55 degree frog in your bevel down plane ..... huh? Wouldn't that take you further away from a low angle? Wouldn't you have to go to a 37 degree frog?
I have an old Stanley No. 4 SB. It has two thumb screws and raise and lower the blade, but it does not seem to have a chip breaker. Am I missing a part? The chatter is unbearable and unless the blade is almost fully retracted I can't get it to shave off a nice slide. Am I doing something wrong? Please advise. Thanks.
Hey Dave,
Those were never a great tool to begin with, but maybe we can get you going. I don't think the 4SB ever came with chipbreaker, and the blade looks very thin...
Get it sharp, and make sure the bevel is down. Make sure the blade is sitting right on the frog... Unfortunately, the tool you have is pretty marginal at the best of times.
Yes, you are correct. No matter what I do, this plane just does not perform well at all. The blade is very sharp now, but still the chatter is ridiculous. I think new plane is in order. suggestions?
Depends on your budget... There are SO MANY options now.
Don't buy modern Stanley, Record-Irwin, Anant or Groz planes. You'll pay top dollar for problems.
I run a fleet of old Stanleys and Records. They take some fiddling to get working, but they're good planes. I retrofitted a Veritas cap iron onto my 4, 4 1/2, and 5 planes, and that helped them immensely. Still running on the original irons too. I think the most I paid for any of those planes was $40AUD.
Don't get hung up on buying only bedrock planes. The Bailey pattern planes did a hell of a lot of work, and continue to do so.
If you want a modern plane, you have quite a few options... Lie Nielsen, Veritas (And WoodRiver/Luban) are the obvious choices, but there's also Clifton from the UK. All great tools, right out of the box. Quite expensive though.
The other alternative is wooden planes. HNT Gordon here in Australia make beautiful planes from Gidgee, a desert timber from near my wife's home town. EC Emmerich make very traditional European wooden planes.
I hope that helps, and isn't too overwhelming!
I have this plane too, bought specifically with the purpose of trying to make it useful. I knew it would be difficult but I'm convinced it's not something that was meant for everyday use. I assumed it would be a $20 learning experience, which is what it was. I flattened the sole, blade, etc.
I think the most "do it all" tool for woodworking is a quality wet stone and strop.
Those pins that hold the frog. They should have a non-circular profile so they face the right way without the user having to align them. They should also have a detent so they won't fall out if you remove the whole frog and blade assembly.
And half a turn of backlash? Still not exactly in the area of high precision, are we? Under 1mm at the wheel periphery would be an acceptable figure.
donepearce By all means, make a bench plane that meets your specs. We're waiting...
You obviously haven’t used a hand plane ever.
@@AcornFox Ha ha Still waiting...
Would like to see a video on the no 1 plane, since it is slightly different in adjusting, do you lift the brass lever cap, and then advance or retract the blade, then close the lever cap ?
Anthony William Rich Jr I tap mine down with a small hammer
Where do get that sand paper
Scotch Brite pads are available at most hardware stores.
Why does a hand plane need to be sharpened before it's ever been used?
Because they don't come sharpened, for the most part.
Sharpening is a required skill for all woodworking tools. The factory can get it close, put it seems it will be up to the user too get it sharp and keep it that way during use. Since it is always necessary, it a good place to start even with a new plane or other woodworking tool. Hope this helps.
Thank you for the comments. I've since purchased some japanese waterstones and have been sharpening my plane.
You are on the right path. Keep it up and enjoy the ride. Always something to sharpen in the shop.
Gregg Thomas Seems pretty ridiculous that it takes so much work to get it ready to use especially at the crazy high prices they sell them for.
I keep expecting him to break in to " Bueller, Bueller"
ok so we know what stand lee nielsen has with the plane down/on it's side controversy
I really prefer low angle planes. Cheaper and they get the job done. The day you buy a plane should be the day you understand how to sharpen a plane blade. Same goes with chisels. Sharpening is pretty easy. Use a jig. Lie Nielsen makes a fine plane. I own their low angle smoother. You have to camber the blade. Buy a camber jig. Way better job than sanding.
Man and I thought school was boring haha
I hate to do this.. but not even 3 minutes in and he’s giving out incorrect info. I’m by no means a professional, but my no. 4 Stanley has a “set screw” in the back of the frog to adjust the mouth, even though the frog is screwed down to the bed of the plane from the top, where his “pins” are located.. it’s very easily adjusted too.. and I don’t have to remove the blade to make that adjustment.
There are stanleys that dont have that option, which was introduced in the type 9 planes.
Hmmmm, before purchasing any sort of "plans", check out Woody's site. Hyezmar's finally published his rather dated but solid plans. Cheers!
You have good planes but they're not here in uganda
I’m really really frustrated when commentator is talking about a detail and we don’t get to see that detail up close. Example: in beginning he says the iron is bevel down. I think we should see a close up of what he’s saying. I may sound anal, but i(like most people) learn visually